First off, this is my first road bike. I did quite a bit of researching and read lots and lots of guides/tips on how to choose the bike you want and all of that. The problem is that you can't really "feel" the bike on a 5-6m test ride.

So, here's what happened: I test rode a Trek Domane 2.0, size 58, and then later test rode a Domane 2.0, size 60. As they come from factory, the 60 felt better but after a 11 mile ride today (I got the bike yesterday), I'm starting to feel like it may be too big for me. For example, standing over the frame, it actually presses against my body.

Looking back, I find it weird that the bike shop that I went to didn't check for that. What I'm left wondering is if they'd exchange the bike after today's ride. Honestly, one can't really feel the fit on a ride around the block and before any adjustments. I bought the bike at that shop kind of expecting a fit, but they never did anything, which got me a bit disappointed.

The question is two-parted:

Is the fact that I can't stand over the frame comfortably a deal breaker?

2 Answers
2

I think it was downright irresponsible of the shop to sell you a bike that so obviously doesn't fit you. They should have done at least some basic fit testing, which clearly they did not. The trouble is, you're at their mercy now. Since it's not a warranty issue, they're not obligated to exchange it. So I would be very polite in how I asked, and I'd make sure I asked the manager or owner, not some 18-year old sales guy. But if they say no, I would push harder. If they still refuse, I'd get a lot less polite and make it clear I would be very vocal about my displeasure with friends and the biking community, including online sources such as yelp.com. I would then sell the bike while you can describe it as virtually brand new, and go to another shop that will fit you properly.

In many countries there are consumer protection laws - in mine a product must be "Fit for purpose" the bike you have probably fails that test. Check what consumer protection rights you have..... But its much better to ask nicely before spouting legal rights....
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mattnzJun 4 '13 at 0:28

Short answer is that the answer to (2) will vary from shop to shop. At a smaller shop that deals in custom order high end bikes there is generally much less of a chance to return/exchange. At the bigger shops (Performance, REI, etc) returns are generally much easier. In any case, it can't hurt to go talk with the shop and try to exchange.

For (1), if you have issues with standover on a 60, a 58 is likely not going to be much better as it's only 2 cm shorter (79.6/81.7).

Interesting point on the 58 vs 60… I talked to a few biker friends and some have "bigger" bikes (for their size) and other prefer smaller… I guess I can adjust a 60 to feel more comfortable. For my size, I know for a fact a 56 isn't big enough so…
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Levi FigueiraSep 10 '13 at 14:33